fabric

noun

fab·​ric ˈfa-brik 

1

a

: structure, building

b

: underlying structure : framework

the fabric of society

2

: an act of constructing : erection

specifically : the construction and maintenance of a church building

3

a

: structural plan or style of construction

b

: texture, quality

—used chiefly of textiles

c

: the arrangement of physical components (as of soil) in relation to each other

4

a

: cloth sense 1a

b

: a material that resembles cloth

5

: the appearance or pattern produced by the shapes and arrangement of the crystal grains in a rock

Synonyms

• cloth
• textile

Examples of fabric in a Sentence

The curtains are made of expensive fabric.

scarves made of woven fabrics

the fabric of the community

Recent Examples on the Web

What’s more, the bedding is made of 400 thread count fabric that’s designed to feel soft and buttery to the touch. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2025

For as long as the lies have held up, so has the fabric of a good life. —Domenico Starnone, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025

This home became the touchstone for my personal selection and reference for my own life in terms of quality of furniture, objects, art, statuary, and fabric and of my deep association with everything chinoiserie. —Ralph Rucci, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2025

Carpets, area rugs, upholstered furniture, and fabric wall decorations go a long way to absorbing sound in rooms. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French fabrique "act of construction, something created or constructed, the created world, structure, construction and maintenance of a church," borrowed from Medieval Latin fabrica, going back to Latin, "process of making something, craft, art, workshop," noun derivative from *fabricus "of a craftsman," from fabr-, faber "craftsman, smith" (perhaps going back to dialectal Indo-European *d^hab^h-r- —perhaps of non-Indo-European origin— whence also Armenian darbin "smith," from *d^hab^h-r-sneh₂) + -icus -ic entry 1

Note: The Latin derivative fabrica may have been shortened from fabrica ars, perhaps literally "smith's craft, smith's place of work." The base *d^hab^h-r- has been compared with Gothic gadaban "to happen, be suitable" and a host of related words (see daft), though the semantic link is tenuous.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fabric

• fabric softener

Kids Definition

fabric

noun

fab·​ric ˈfab-rik 

1

: the basic structure

the fabric of society

2

: cloth sense 1